Sessions

The proliferation of distributed energy resources (DERs) in the distribution system is creating an unprecedented series of opportunities and challenges for grid operators. The ability to harness the power of DERs through a distributed energy resource management system (DERMS) is critical in order to gain visibility into the location and operational characteristics of DERs with control over those assets also being key. This session will present diverse viewpoints from an investor-owned utility, a public power authority, and a co-op on the value of DERMS, how to optimize DERs for multiple use cases, where each organization is on their DERMS journey, and where they see the final destination of that journey. font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;

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The industry is undergoing a fundamental change faced with unpredictable climate change and move towards electrification, non-traditional energy sources and providers. But the investments in infrastructure have failed to keep pace leading to catastrophic results in some cases. Electricity has also gone from a novelty to a necessity in the last 100+ years, and we’ve seen a varied response, often dependent on geography, socioeconomics, and the partnerships and vision of individual utilities to address the challenge of re-imaging the very nature of the grid. Utilities must establish a comprehensive and strategic vision to re-building the grid with resiliency, sustainably and with affordability in mind. Integrating modern technologies within existing infrastructure, testing them in real time while maintaining current services. These organizations, historically slow moving and risk adverse must learn to turn (and innovate) fast. At the same time, some utilities are well ahead of the curve, topping the leader board in supporting sustainable energy. However, these frontrunners also serve as our frontline, dealing with the pain of first-time issues and new challenges unique to early adopters. Join us for an insightful panel discussion that will explore the challenges and some real-world examples of how utilities, state and local governments are rising to meet these challenges head on.The industry is undergoing a fundamental change faced with unpredictable climate change and move towards electrification, non-traditional energy sources and providers. But the investments in infrastructure have failed to keep pace leading to catastrophic results in some cases. Electricity has also gone from a novelty to a necessity in the last 100+ years, and we’ve seen a varied response, often dependent on geography, socioeconomics, and the partnerships and vision of individual utilities to address the challenge of re-imaging the very nature of the grid. Utilities must establish a comprehensive and strategic vision to re-building the grid with resiliency, sustainably and with affordability in mind. Integrating modern technologies within existing infrastructure, testing them in real time while maintaining current services. These organizations, historically slow moving and risk adverse must learn to turn (and innovate) fast. At the same time, some utilities are well ahead of the curve, topping the leader board in supporting sustainable energy. However, these frontrunners also serve as our frontline, dealing with the pain of first-time issues and new challenges unique to early adopters. Join us for an insightful panel discussion that will explore the challenges and some real-world examples of how utilities, state and local governments are rising to meet these challenges head on.

More residences and small-to-medium commercial buildings are adopting smart, internet-connected devices that could enable simple, scalable, and low-cost interactions between utilities and residential electrical loads and generation sources. These residential distributed energy resources (DERs), if aggregated and efficiently cost-controlled, could help balance grid operations, thus improving operational efficiency, reliability, and resiliency of the power grid. The challenge is that these loads are widely dispersed, relatively small, and operate under user constraints. Some utilities use third-party companies to sign up customers for voluntary curtailment programs for specific appliances such as air conditioners. But those services can be costly for utilities, they typically use proprietary software, and don’t take advantage of the range of multi-vendor devices available in the emerging smart appliance world. To address this industry challenge, the Department of Energy, working through the national laboratories of the Grid Modernization Laboratory Consortium (GMLC), has sponsored a research project to provide electric utilities with the necessary software and hardware, all based on open standards, to bring intelligent, coordinated control of residential DERs. The team has developed and validated a home energy management system (HEMS), which provides a standardized grid interface with a utility. The system serves as a platform for deploying intelligent algorithms to execute grid-responsive functionality of a broad portfolio of residential multi-vendor devices. The project team developed hierarchical, decentralized control and optimization technology capable of providing the response needed to deliver guaranteed grid services to utilities. The team has partnered with utilities in the Southeast, including Southern Company, Duke Energy and Tennessee Valley Authority, to identify, test and validate grid-responsive services including peak demand reduction and renewable responsive load shaping using residential loads. The project team has tested control signals and interactions in a laboratory environment and has deployed devices for five appliance types in several locations with utilities across the region. The project team has used these field trials to validate advanced control functions that support distribution resiliency and end-to-end interoperability, using open standards and open-source platforms. This presentation will report on the results.

The future of energy in Texas and the US is one of carbon-free promise, but numerous challenges face us in designing and operating an electrical system to meet the growing demand for power while ensuring resiliency, reliability, and security. How do we manage these challenges within a changing regulatory regime and with an evolving threat environment? Deepa Poduval, Vice President & Global Advisory Leader at Black & Veatch kicks off the Leadership Summit with a short introduction. Following his remarks will be a conversation with former US Secretary of Energy and former Governor of Texas, Rick Perry, Massoud Amin, professor of Electrical Engineering at the University of Minnesota, and Julia Matevosyan, Chief Engineer at ESIG Energy. This give-and-take discussion will offer a candid assessment of the policy, technology, and cybersecurity issues that are crucial to the bulk power system’s future.

DERMS technology is essential to managing the increasing quantity and variety of DER on the grid. But the integration of these new tools and assets is still in its infancy, with no manual to guide the most cost-effective way to transition to the grid of the future. Expectations around optimal use of DERMS have largely focused on energy trading and less on harnessing value on the operations side. However, DERMS technology is underutilized compared with its potential. Advances in sensor technology combined with a DERMS platform offer new business models to optimize operations and derive additional value. For example, the DERMS model may show that a utility has 50 GW of capacity when data from a real-time operational sensor shows a capacity of 75 GW. To explore this potential, Enbala and PSEG-Long Island are working with Micatu to apply real-time operational sensing with DERMS technology. This project aims to help utilities open capacity and develop business models better adapted to DER proliferation. This presentation will discuss the battery/genset program deployed at PSEG-LI and the deployment of optical sensors. The DERMS/sensor model is configured to manage both active power consumption and generation downline of a sensor on a distribution network, ensuring the operator can maintain power flows between desired operating thresholds for grid stability and reliability. Configuring the DERMS with real-time sensor data supports DER operation, alleviates hosting capacity discrepancies, and provides better awareness of the impact on power quality with increasing DER. Sensors can be directly integrated with the DERMS using DPN3 to support threshold control, providing situational awareness for dispatching assets during VPP power breaches. We will discuss lessons learned from relaying real-time data to the DERMS and technical and operational best practices for optimizing hosting capacity and increasing ROI on VPP investments.

Sponsored by PxISE

Using utility Horizon Power as a case study, CEO & co-founder Patrick Lee of PXiSE Energy Solutions will share how a DERMS and microgrid controller work together to optimize a microgrid powered by DERs and traditional utility assets. The project successfully demonstrated how this combined technology enabled a microgrid powering a small town to run exclusively on solar assets with the support of relatively small capacity battery storage units. This accomplishment of coordinating hundreds of inverter-based resources to operate without spinning generators has implications well beyond this use case. When combined, these powerful software solutions can solve grid stability issues in the immediate term, enable the incorporation of a higher percentage of DERs (including intermittent renewables) to the grid, and facilitate the storage and dispatch of power in infinite ways that use BTM and FTM assets to their maximum potential.

Initiate is the hub at DISTRIBUTECH to hear about new technology, innovation, and up and coming talent in the energy sector. There will be 25 amazing startup companies pitching for a chance to win an award from Duke Energy and Clarion Energy Events. Stop by booth #3755 on the POWERGEN side to hear pitches and content centered around energy innovation.

Heads of companies and thought leaders discuss specific challenges they have to meet their decarbonization goals or those set by government agencies, and how R&D can help individual companies and industries. The panel would focus on specific challenges and opportunities industries are facing, on electrification and its limits, and on specific measures/technologies needed.

Take 5 for a drink and a quick chat at our cantina receptions located throughout the exhibit hall

Networking Bar Locations:

Company	Booth Number
Cleaveland Price	1322
Burns & McDonnell	2941
ABB	2323
Sensus	1723
Black & Veatch	2115
Urbint	3353
Generac Grid Services	3233
NV5 Geospatial	235
IFS/Clevest	723
Investissement Quebec	1015
Exelon Clearsight	1247
Utility Broadband Alliance	1026